EXPERT ADVICE
Directions Magazine Podcast - Top Skills Needs to be Successful in a GIS Career
Click on the title about to hear Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg's take on the skills you need above and beyond knowing how to navigate GIS software programs. My favorite tip - find a mentor who will help you continuously grow in your career.
GIS Education Community Blog - The Top 5 Skills Needed to be Successful in a GIS Career
Joseph Kerski, Esri's Education Manager, says the top five skills are curiosity, the ability to work with data, understanding geographic foundations, adaptability, and good communication skills.
Top 3 Tips for Success from a Geospatial Technical Manager
Emerging GIS Leaders founder Rachel Kornak spoke with Andrew Grogan, Geospatial Technical Manager at GDAIS in Tucson about what it takes to get hired in your first GIS position. Andrew's top tips are listed below. Full interview coming soon.
1) Leverage all available resources to integrate in the national and global GIS community. Master online networking resources, become involved in GIS organizations (local, regional, national and international levels) and stay active in doing and thinking GIS work even if it is in your downtime from working other jobs in the interim.
2) Demonstrate to an interviewer a strong capability to learn and be an independent problem solver with GIS concepts and technologies. The biggest misconception for GIS professionals looking for their first job is that they think that they need to already know how to do the GIS work the company is seeking the position for. In reality the hiring manager is usually looking for solid knowledge of GIS fundamentals, a strong ability to learn new things rapidly, and the ability to reduce mistakes and make continual improvements.
3) Be able to articulate you ability to think spatially to an interviewer (to “Think GIS”). The dynamic nature of GIS involves not only understanding the fundamentals of the discipline and its technologies but being able to conceptualize, define and communicate that understanding within the context of the applied subject. Most new GIS professionals can explain technical information or discuss GIS concepts, but when the interviewee can relate that information in a practical and succinct manner within the context of the greater subject you know they will excel at working across a multitude of applications within the discipline.
1) Leverage all available resources to integrate in the national and global GIS community. Master online networking resources, become involved in GIS organizations (local, regional, national and international levels) and stay active in doing and thinking GIS work even if it is in your downtime from working other jobs in the interim.
2) Demonstrate to an interviewer a strong capability to learn and be an independent problem solver with GIS concepts and technologies. The biggest misconception for GIS professionals looking for their first job is that they think that they need to already know how to do the GIS work the company is seeking the position for. In reality the hiring manager is usually looking for solid knowledge of GIS fundamentals, a strong ability to learn new things rapidly, and the ability to reduce mistakes and make continual improvements.
3) Be able to articulate you ability to think spatially to an interviewer (to “Think GIS”). The dynamic nature of GIS involves not only understanding the fundamentals of the discipline and its technologies but being able to conceptualize, define and communicate that understanding within the context of the applied subject. Most new GIS professionals can explain technical information or discuss GIS concepts, but when the interviewee can relate that information in a practical and succinct manner within the context of the greater subject you know they will excel at working across a multitude of applications within the discipline.